Bandō Hikosaburō III in the Role of Obiya Chōemon and Iwai Hanshiro IV in the Role of Shinanoya Ohan, from the Play “Nihonmatsu Michinoku sodachi” 1794 - 1795

This woodblock print captures Bandō Hikosaburō and Iwai Hanshirō in a dramatic Kabuki performance. The actors' garments are adorned with symbols rich in cultural meaning, such as geometric patterns and crests indicating lineage. The intensity of their expressions and the tension in their postures evoke a sense of deep emotional turmoil. The motifs remind me of ancient Greek theatre masks, exaggerated to convey emotions, which mirror the amplified gestures used by Kabuki actors to communicate complex narratives. Consider the shared human desire to express inner feelings through outward symbols. In both forms, we see a cultural and psychological need to articulate deep-seated emotions through performance. Even today, we see echoes of these expressions in contemporary performances, a testament to the enduring power of these archetypes to resonate with the human psyche. This image, therefore, is not just a snapshot of a play, but a window into the soul, reflecting our collective memory.